Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Reveals the Crucial Role Actor Played in Now-ViralSNLPromo Skit (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Timothée Chalamet and his lookalikes in the ‘Saturday Night Live’ promo video.Photo:NBC

NBC

Saturday Night Livepaid homage to last year’s viralTimothée Chalametlookalike contest while promoting the Oscar nominee’s upcoming stint on the show as both host and musical guest.

In aone-minute clipreleased days before the episode — which airs on Jan. 25 — Chalamet, 29, joked that he “brought in some help” so he could focus on the songs he’ll be performing. The camera then panned out to see four of theDunestar’sdoppelgängers standing on either side of him.

Half were dressed in more casual streetwear while the other two were dressed up as two of Chalamet’s most recognizable characters: the titular chocolate maker fromWonkaand folk-rockerBob Dylan, of whom the actor gave a critically acclaimed performance inA Complete Unknown.

According toZander Dueve— who featured in both theSNLpromo and the original lookalike competition — the dupes didn’t get a say in which version of Chalamet they played. Dueve was cast as famed songwriter Dylan during a wardrobe fitting.

“I wanted to keep my natural hair, but Timothée was insistent that Bob Dylan got wigged,” the Georgia resident tells PEOPLE exclusively. Beyond matters of hair, the 22-year-old says Chalamet was relaxed throughout their six-hour day spent in Studio 8H.

“He’s a very decent guy … He brought a nice energy to the set and everybody really clearly enjoyed when he was there,” says Dueve, who came in second place at the lookalike contest held in October in New York City. “I expected to feel really, really nervous as soon as he showed up, but when he did … I felt very comfortable.”

It’s no secret that Chalamet approves of thelookalike trendthat started with his image. Hecrashed the contestin Washington Square Park last autumn, and he evenoffered to pay the $500 fine issued to the organizerfor hosting a public event without a permit. When the winner of the contest,Miles Mitchell, 21,walked the red carpetat this year’s Golden Globes, the A-lister stopped to greet him and pose for a photo.

Dueve says Chalamet’s friendliness extended to theSaturday Night Liveset as well. “He asked what place I was in because he knew that Miles got first,” says the familiar-looking fan. “His stylist was there, and he was like, ‘Oh, this is Zander. He got second place at my competition.'”

It could’ve been any of the lookalikes onSNLif Dueve hadn’t moved quickly and gotten a little help from a particularly supportive sponsor. He was at home in Atlanta when an NBC representative reached out via Instagram.

“I got a text at 4 p.m. Monday, and they were like, ‘You need to be here in Studio 8H at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.’ Otherwise, they would’ve just given it to someone else,” he recalls. “I had to react very quickly because I was like, ‘Oh wow, okay, this is legitimate and this is for real, so I need to get to New York so that I can get onSaturday Night Live,and this is the one chance.’ So I didn’t miss that train. I’m glad I didn’t. It was incredible.”

He had to call out of work as a security guard and find a way to fund an expensive last-minute plane ticket. Dueve models for hair care companyAvenue Man, and fortunately the company was totally behind the plan to get him to Manhattan. They flew him out on the second-to-last seat available on a flight that would get him there on time.

Zander Dueve (as Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan) and Mikey Day in the ‘Saturday Night Live’ promo video.NBC

The journeyalmostwent off without a hitch, but then Dueve got past his wardrobe fitting for the promo. As an additional perk, theAvenue Manteam styled his natural hair perfectly for his big on-camera debut, “and then they ended up putting a wig on me anyway,” adds Dueve, though he doesn’t try to argue with Chalamet’s creative vision.

In the video, theLittle Womenstar reviewed all the “hosting duties” with which his team of doubles could help out, including meeting with writers and working on his monologue. A costumed Dueve can be seen pouring himself a cup of coffee as Chalamet’s voiceover added, “And of course, you gotta listen toMikey Daybrag about hostingIs It Cake?”

In the brief scene, Day rambled about his gig on the Netflix cooking competition series as a trailed Dueve as faux-Dylan sipped his coffee in silence. What viewers don’t see, however, is the most “surreal” part of the experience: Chalamet watched his double shoot that scene and cheered him on the entire time.

“He was behind the camera getting excited and hyping me up. He came and dapped me up, and he was just like, ‘Oh, you’re killing it, man.’ It was just crazy to be in front of him when all that was happening,” Dueve shares. “He was sitting there supporting me from the back line.” In addition to being a hype man for the lookalikes, he notes that Chalamet played a crucial role in the creative process behind the scenes, noting, “He actually was super involved in the writing of the skit.”

Despite his on-camera attitude towards their scene together, Dueve saysSNLcast member Day was also “really cool” during their time together.

“He was very nice. He was very quick, very fast-moving. He was just a fast-paced guy, while Timothée was a lot more laid-back, and he was lollygagging around,” Dueve adds. “He was drinking some tea, and he was just very casually shooting his scenes like this was nothing for him, but it all came very natural to him.”

Timothée Chalamet and his lookalikes in the ‘Saturday Night Live’ promo video.NBC

The contest runner-up was surprised to watch Chalamet’s process as a performer. Dueve says his celebrity lookalike seemed “very in control of his scenes, and he was very comfortable to mess up.” He wanted to do several takes to ensure the final product was the best it could be.

After gaining some firsthand experience working with Chalamet, Dueve is all the more “proud of him” for nabbing a nod from the Academy forA Complete Unknown— and for a part they’ve now both played, no less!

“Very happy for him, and I also definitely think he deserved it. I mean, the role was incredible,” says Dueve. He saw the movie at a SCAD Film Festival showing in Atlanta, where Chalamet was also in attendance, sitting not too far away from his lookalike.

“He came out in the end and he answered some questions,” Dueve recalls. “I was really close to him at the time, and then full circle, I ended up shooting some scenes with him [forSNL].”

source: people.com